Hoffgen



Aug. 2, 1960 F. HOFFGEN I 2,947,161

LOCK FOR BRIEFCASES AND THE LIKE Filed July 7, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 2, 1960 F. HOFFGEN LOCK FOR BRIEFCASES AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 7, 1958 NTOR Fe r2, flame? E'J Q new United States Patent 1 Claim. (Cl. 70-67) This invention relates to locks for briefcases, bags and similar. containers.

- Devices of this type usually include a keeper member in the general form of a socket for receiving a tongue including a spring latch intended to engage with an appropriate. shoulder when the tongue is inserted within it. The insertable tongue ordinarily includes inner and outer plates whose spaced attaching portions, prior to applicationito the selected article, are firmly secured or fixed-together which makes it diflicult to neatly andse curely fix the tongue assembly to, for example, the flap of a briefcase." Tliatisto say, the=relatively rigid spaced ends of the plates'which embrace the flap 'of the briefcase are so .firmly secured together that considerable manipulating skillis' required'for'inounting the same on the flap by rivets. This practice also requires special tooling.

Accordingly, the present invention is primarily directed to a new form of two-part insertable tongue for socket-like keeper members wherein the tongue parts are preliminarily assembled in such a manner that the inner and outer plates are hingedly interlocked at one end and the opposite attaching ends are free to swing apart in a limited are to more readily straddle or embrace the edge of the flap and permit of easy adjustment thereon with ultimate anchoring or securement thereto by means of a staple. In that connection, provision is made on the inner plate for shielding the inner ends of the staple prongs when the otherwise free ends of the tongue construction are fitted in position by an appropriate stapling machine.

A further object of the invention is to have the inner and outer plates forming the tongue hinged together at one end in a simple and practical manner to provide a limited range of arcuate movement of the opposite ends, which are fitted to the flap of the container.

With the above and other objects in view which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of par-ts, hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a frontvelevation of a complete lock including the keeper or socket member carried by the body of the article and the visible parts of the tongue carried by the flap.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view taken through the tongue and a portion of the flap member, without showing the socket member, and before the tongue secured by stapling in position.

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the outer plate of the tongue assembly.

comprises a face plate 1 secured to the body of the ice 2 a container by U-shaped'buckle 2 which also secures the outer plate 10 in place. This plate is of substantially T-shaped formation (Fig. 3) and is provided with a central opening which exposes the spring latch 3. This latch may be controlled by a' suitable locking device (not shown) actuated by a key insertable through the keyhole 4.

When the latch 3 is immobilized by the lock, the

tongue will be securely held in the socket member, but when it is not under the influence of a lock it may be pushed inwardly against force of spring 33 to release the tongue. from engagement with the top edge 10 of the plate 10. a

Referring now more specifically to the two-part tongue illustrated in detail in Figures 2., 3 and 4, it will be seen that the same includes an inner plate 5 provided at one end with an outwardly ofiset lip 6 having therein a slot 7. The side edges of the plate 5 are provided with flanges having registering cutout portions or recesses 8. In addition the plate 5 has a fastening extension= 9 projecting beyond the flanges at the sides thereof.

11 which overlaps the lip 6 of the plate 5 (Fig. 2). The

lip 11 is provided with a cleat 12 disposed substantially.v parallelto the inneriface of the. outer ,wall of the saidouter plate 10.- This cleat ,fits into the slot 7 of lip 6.

on plate 5, thus forming a hinge-like joint between inner plate and outer .plate 10;. The outer plate 10 has oifset side flanges which telescopically receive the flanges of the inner member 5 and have tabs 13 which project inwardly to enter the recesses 8 on the side flanges of the inner plate 5.

The above described means of connecting plates 5 and 10 permits the extensions 9 and 15 thereof respectively to move in an arc defined by the distance between the recesses 8 and the slot 7. The hinging angle of the extensions 9 and 15 of plates 5 and 10 is approximately 15 due to the fact that the ends of members 5 and 10 are loosely and hingedly interlocked, as previously indicated. This arrangement permits the extensions 9 and 15 to be separated to straddle and embrace the flap 14 thereby readily enabling the workman to adjust the tongue assembly in correct relation to the base plate and socket means on the body of the article.

As will be seen. from Figure 4, the side flanges of the outer plate 10 have lugs 16 which correspond to the notches 17 in the inner plate 5.

Also the extended fastening flange 15 of outer plate 10 has two slots 18 parallel to each other, which are intended to register with the entrance to the guideways 19, whose bottom walls are directed toward each other for the purpose of'guiding the tangs of the staple inwardly and shielding them so as to avoid personal injury.

From Figure 2, it may be observed that the tongue assembly may be secured to the flap of the briefcase or the like by the said U-shaped staple 20 having its prongs 21 arranged so that when the staple is fitted to extension flange 15, the said prongs will enter the slots 18, penetrate the flap 14, and register with openings 18 leading to guideways 19 so that the prongs 21 are clinched in a simultaneous operation by the press shown in Figure 5. The body portion of the staple 20 projects substantially from the outer plate 10 to constitute a finger manipulating grip for the lock casing and its latch.

For placing the staple 20 in place the jig shown in Figure 5 is used. The latter consists of a work-supporting plate 22 for supporting the tongue assembly and being cut away to fit the outline of the extension fastening flanges. This plate 22 is movable against compression springs 23 coiled about stud 24 set on base plate 25,

, carrying an anvil 26 having a flute 27 to accommodate 3 the body 20 of the staple. Anvil 26 fits into the cut away portion 28 of the upper'supporting plate 22.

A press plunger 29 is positioned to drop onto supporting plate 22, striking downward onto bottom plate without: touching, however; the;- fastening flange. its; front; edge this plunger- 29 has two cleats 30 which, on the downstroke, slide-pastlugs 16 to prevent theedge of the top plate from crimpingwhen lugs-16 are-clinched. The forward side 31 of plunger 29 is splined and-has attached to it a second plunger which. is vertically adjustable.

The primary position .of the holding plate 22. with respect to anvil 26 is calculated in such a way that when,

a staple is placed into flute27; the tipsrof its prongs .will

pass: exactly through slots -.18-.1in the flange of the outer plate belonging-to .a tongue supported on plate 22;

As die plungers 29 and 32 press downward, cleats;3@r

on=p1unger 29=first slide past the outsideof. lugs 16 and with. continuing downstrokedepressing work-plate 22,

these cleatssetthe position oflugs 16 so that in the final prongs 21 of the staple are pressed through: leather 14 andgencountered flangeQwhichismeceiving pressure. from plunger-32 above-it. As the downstroke thencontinues wits end, the-prongs are clinched between leather 14,

Near:

4'. and flange 9. In this end phase of the process flange -15 is seated on anvil 26.

The two plates of the tongue, prior to assembly on the article, are held by spring 33 in latch 3 in a spreadopen position as limited by tab 13, so that bag flap 14 can be conveniently inserted between the two flanges 15 and 9.

I claim:

A lock for securing the flap of a briefcase or the like to keeper means on the body thereof, comprising, a lock casing including inner. and outer plates Whose upper portions embrace the; upper face of the flap, said inner plate provided in its upper portion with a pair of laterally spaced closed depressions whose bottom walls form guideways facing the-back of the flap, and said outer waysto shieldingly. clinch the inner and outer plates together, andthe=innenportionof said prongs lying in and: concealed;by said guideways between the inner plate and the inner face of the flap, the intermediate transversely. arched portion of said staple constituting an exposed. outward projection to provide a substantial finger. engaging manipulating portion for the locking member to withdraw. it from the said keeper means;

ReferencesCited in the filejof-this patent FOREIGN PATENT 961,588 France .V No v.21,1949. 

